Sacrifice
by Anara Skywalker
Summary: Obi-Wan and Anain are sent to the planet Iridonia after it is invaded by Separatist forces, under the Separatist general Thamius Lylothian. A Clone Wars story, rated M for violence. Non-slash.
1. Prologue: Invasion

Star Wars and its characters and planets belong to George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd

_This story is dedicated to my fan, and, more importantly, friend, Jedi Ani Unduli. She is a fantastic writer, and a kind-hearted person._

_Star Wars belongs to George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd. Thamius, Laron, and Myrina belong to me. _

Iridonia: a peaceful planet in the Mid Rim of the galaxy. The planet isn't a rich one, but its citizens are happy. They live in villages and towns scattered across the surface. Iridonia has stayed out of the Clone Wars. Without a weak army, they had no way to help either side and to help itself. That is why it was the perfect target.

Thamius stood on the command bridge of his transport. A droid approached him timidly. It didn't know much, but it knew that the general had a very short temper, especially when it came to dealings with droids.

"We're ready to land, sir."

"Good." Thamius turned and looked at the droid with cold blue eyes. "What are we waiting for, then?" He sighed. _Incompetent droid. _"Begin the invasion."

"Yes, sir."

The Corellian general remained on the command bridge, staring out at the planet in front of them. He laughed to himself slightly. Iridonia had no defense. This would be the quickest invasion he had ever led. He looked around the command deck. All the droids were working diligently and quietly, just the way he liked it. While walking off the command bridge, he slicked back his black hair with his hand and stopped by one of the droids.

"Summon me when we land."

"Yes, sir."

Thamius continued and went to his quarters. He sat down in a chair and stretched out his limbs, relaxing. He shut his eyes and took a quick nap.

The droid transports landed within moments. The landing site was not far from the Iridonian military base. Although the outside of the base seemed calm and uneventful, there was pure chaos inside. The officers were frantically trying to contact nearby planets, but their communications were jammed. They were sitting ducks.

"What do we do?"

"Why have the Separatists come?"

"What about our families?"

The frenzy seemed ceaseless. None of the officers had ever seen a battle, let alone an invasion. Their general stood quietly looking outside, deep in thought. One officer went up to him with a desperate gleam in his eyes.

"What do we do, General?"

The room went completely silent as the officers waited for their command. The general took a deep breath, still staring out the window. After a few moments of tenuous silence, he turned to the officer.

"We stand our ground. We're not giving up this base without a fight." He stood up straight and turned to his other officers. "My loyal soldiers, we are Iridonians. We will not go down easily. Let's show those damn Separatists what we are made of!"

The men gave a cry of agreement. They stood in their position, ready for anything. Almost anything.

Suddenly, the walls of the base were blown in. Several of the men were killed when pieces of the wall collided with their bodies. Droids piled in to the base, firing upon the Iridonian soldiers constantly. Two of the officers ducked underneath the fire and made their way to the general.

"Hurry, sir, we must get you to safety!"

"No! I will stay and fight."

"Sir, we _must _get you to safety! You are our only commander!"

The general sighed as he silently agreed with the truth in that statement. He followed the two officers out of the room and into a small closet-like hideout near the back of the base.

In the battle, officers were shot down quicker than they could blink. Within a few moments, all of the officers that were in the base, except for the two with the general, were dead. Thamius walked in through a broken wall, stepping over dead bodies. He kicked some out of the way as he made his way further into the base.

"Is this all of them?"

"As far as we know, sir."

"Where is their general?" He looked around. "These men are all wearing the same uniform. A general would have more medals on his jacket than these officers. He must still be alive, then, and somewhere nearby. He couldn't have gotten far."

The droids looked at each other, confused. They followed Thamius as he made his way to the back of the base. He found the door that stood between him and the general, and chuckled.

"They think a door will stop me."

He ripped open the door. Inside the small room, the two officers were trembling. The general sat up straight and looked Thamius in the eyes.

"I believe it is time for you to surrender, General. I promise to make your death quick and painless."

"You think I'll surrender to the likes of you?" The Iridonian general smiled. "I would never do such a thing."

"You have no choice, you foolish man." Thamius took out a blaster and pointed it at the general's head. "Surrender or die."

"I would rather die than give you what you want willingly."

"Very well." Thamius shot the general in the middle of the forehead. He watched with a smirk as the Iridonian's body twitched a few more times before it stopped all movements. Thamius looked to the other officers. "And what will you do, resist bravely and be forgotten, or surrender and join me?"

"We will die."

Without another word, Thamius shot them both in the stomach, letting their stomach acids devour their insides to kill them. He turned around and walked out into the main part of the base.

"Droids, clear out these bodies and burn them."

"Yes sir."

The droids dragged the bodies outside and lit them on fire. The smell of burning flesh and death floated into the base. This didn't faze General Thamius Lylothian, however. He was used to it.


	2. Chapter One: Mission

_This story is dedicated to my fan, and, more importantly, friend, Jedi Ani Unduli. She is a fantastic writer, and a kind-hearted person._

_Star Wars belongs to George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd. Thamius, Laron, and Myrina belong to me. _

The Jedi Master was meditating in his quarters. He was exhausted. He and his Padawan returned yesterday from a campaign in the Outer Rim. They had defeated the Separatist forces there, but no so easily. Many clone troopers had died to defend the ideals of the Republic. The Master himself had been hurt in the battle. But, it was over, and now he could-

He felt a pull in the Force. His eyes opened instantly, and he looked around. Anakin wasn't there. Who could it be? He felt another pull. He suddenly knew who it was: the High Council. With a sigh, he stood up and left his room. Where was Anakin, anyway? He shook his head; he didn't have time to think about it. Quickly, he made his way to the High Council chamber.

Many Jedi said "hello" or smiled at the Master as he walked by through the hallways of the Jedi Temple. He only had the time and thought capacity to return a brief nod. Soon, he arrived at the Council chamber and waited outside, looking out the window at the Coruscant skyline. He didn't wait long. Jedi Master Kit Fitso stepped out of the chamber.

"Please come in, Master Kenobi."

"Thank you, Master Fitso."

Obi-Wan walked into the Council chamber. Most of the Jedi Masters' seats were occupied by a holographic image. They themselves were fighting on different planets. Obi-Wan inclined his head in the presence of the Masters. The only Jedi physically there were Yoda, Kit Fitso, and Stass Allie.

"We've summoned you here today to give you a new assignment," Stass Allie said.

"The planet Iridonia has been invaded by Separatist forces," the holographic image of Ki-Adi Mundi replied.

"We need you and Anakin to go there and fight," Mace stated via hologram network.

Obi-Wan hid his disappointment and looked to Yoda. He had no reaction. Obi-Wan sighed and looked around to the different masters.

"With all due respect," Obi-Wan began, "I just returned from battle yesterday. Are there any other Knights you could send?"

"No," Yoda answered quickly and harshly.

"You are one of our best warriors, and an even better general," Kit Fitso declared, agreeing with Yoda.

"You will not be traveling alone," Saesee Tiin said. "Master Laron Buchenell will go with you, as with his Padawan, Myrina Alarindam."

_Great. _Obi-Wan took a deep breath and nodded slowly. "As you wish, Masters. When do you want us to leave?"

"You must go immediately," Mace replied. "There are transports waiting for you."

"Yes, Masters." Obi-Wan bowed his head before leaving.

He made his way back down the hallways of the Jedi Temple. At a brisk walk, he went to Laron's room. He reached out in the Force to Anakin.

_Anakin? Anakin!_

_Yes, Master?_

_We have to go. The Council just summoned me. We're going out on another mission. Master Laron and his Padawan are coming with us._

_I don't know him._

_I do. I am not thrilled about this._

_When are you thrilled about anything, Master?_

_When we get to relax. I'll meet you at the transports._

Obi-Wan released his connection with Anakin. He didn't stop as he made his way to Laron's quarters. Obi-Wan arrived there within moments. He knocked on the door and waited. Laron opened it.

"Master Kenobi! What a pleasant surprise!" He opened the door. "Come on in." Obi-Wan didn't move. "Or not…"

"You are to travel with me to Iridonia. It has just been invaded by Separatist forces. Your Padawan must come with us as well."

"Okay." Laron stepped back a bit, looking shocked and surprised all at the same time. "When are we leaving?"

"Now."

"Oh…" He looked over his shoulder, seeing if his Padawan was there. She wasn't. "Myrina! Come here! We have to go! Bring your lightsaber!"

The two Masters waited in an awkward silence for Laron's padawan. She came running after a few quiet moments.

"I'm ready to go, Master. I have my lightsaber, and I grabbed yours, too." She handed it to him. Myrina smiled at Obi-Wan. "Hello."

"Nice to meet you, Myrina." He extended a hand. She timidly took it with a smile. "I'm Obi-Wan Kenobi."

Myrina grinned. She looked up at her Master.

"We really must be going now. The transports are waiting for us."

Obi-Wan led the way to the transports. Myrina walked next to him, and Laron followed close behind. She seemed eager to get away from the temple. _Just like Anakin, _Obi-Wan thought. They went to the transport holding area and got ready to leave. Anakin was waiting for Obi-Wan with a small smile.

"Ready to go, Master?"

"As ready as I'll ever be. Let's go and finish this."

The two walked on board a transport side by side, following Laron and Myrina. The ships took off towards their destination.


	3. CHapter Two: Slaughter

_This story is dedicated to my fan, and, more importantly, friend, Jedi Ani Unduli. She is a fantastic writer, and a kind-hearted person._

_Star Wars belongs to George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd. Thamius, Laron, and Myrina belong to me. _

The base was eerily quiet. Droids set up equipment for communication and military purposes. Thamius was seated at the command center of the base, his feet propped up near the controls. He kicked some Iridonian trinkets to the ground, letting them shatter. The droids tried to not pay attention to their general's destructive behavior, but some of them were caught looking.

"What the hell are you looking at? Get back to work before I melt you down for scrap!"

Quickly, the droids resumed their duties, knowing that there wasn't a thread of falseness in Thamius' order. The Separatist general sighed angrily. He really wished that he didn't have to deal with these droids directly. He was a general. Couldn't he hire some assistant to take care of this dirty work for him? With squinted eyes, he watched the droids work. They were pathetic; capable of no thought, just drones following orders. Thamius allowed himself a small chuckle. He had dealt with many humans and humanoids who were the same. Why couldn't more people be like the Count and himself? Both knew what they wanted and how to get it. They weren't afraid to use intimidation to get-

"We have finished setting up the equipment, sir."

"Did you set up the outside equipment?"

"Uh…no, sir."

"Well, then," he took out his blaster and shot the droid right in the chest. It collapsed to the ground. "I suppose you're not finished yet, then." He looked to the droids. "Go finish setting up the equipment outside."

They left in a hurry. Thamius shoved his blaster away and sighed, looking around the base. The droids actually did a decent job. He was surprised. _They did something right, for a change. _He managed a small smile before feeling something: a twang in his stomach. He was hungry. It had been a while since he had last eaten. He didn't realize how quickly time flew when he was having fun. He picked up a comlink that was on the table by his feet.

"Droid."

"Yes, sir?"

"Bring me my food."

"Yes, sir."

Thamius tossed the comlink back on the table. He waited impatiently for his food to come to him. After a few moments of waiting, a droid came running in, carrying his plate.

"Here is your food, sir."

"Good. Put it down on the table." The droid set it down quickly. Thamius grabbed some food and stuffed it in his mouth. He chewed, staring at the droid. It didn't move. He swallowed. "What are you still doing here?"

"Awaiting further instructions, sir."

"Hm…" He bit off another chunk of food while thinking of what to have this problem droid do. He swallowed his mouthful after thinking of his solution. "Send out troops to take over any nearby towns and villages. We'll worry about the other ones later. When the towns start falling, the spirit of the people gets crushed." Another thought crossed his mind. "Kill anyone who resists." His hidden message rang through, clear as a bell.

"Yes, sir." The droid turned and left.

Thamius resumed eating his delicious meal as some transports flew away across the terrain. He could hear the humming of the engines in the distance.

Families heard the transports coming before they saw them. Many of the men sent their families off to hide, while they stayed to guard the house. Young children cried, older children held their younger siblings, and mothers kept a calm face, ready to do whatever necessary to protect their children. There was no guarding against the droids, however.

They piled into the village by the hundreds, shooting whatever and whoever stood in their path. Brave fathers died a soldier's death at the cold, metallic hands of the invaders. Bodies were left to rot where they fell.

The families were not immune from the chaos brought by the Separatist forces. People of all ages were butchered mercilessly. Mothers tried to shield their children, but they were torn to shreds by blaster fire. Brothers and sisters together had their lives cut short. Bloodcurdling screams filled the village air, but, in the long run, went unheard. The executions were brutal.

And, all this time, General Thamius Lylothian ate his food with a clear conscience and a peaceful demeanor.


	4. Chapter Three: Landing

_This story is dedicated to my fan, and, more importantly, friend, Jedi Ani Unduli. She is a fantastic writer, and a kind-hearted person._

_Star Wars belongs to George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd. Thamius, Laron, and Myrina belong to me. _

There wasn't much conversation on board the transport. The clones were tired. Obi-Wan and Anakin were both exhausted, and neither Jedi was opening to conversation with either Laron or Myrina. For Obi-Wan, Iridonia couldn't come soon enough. He sat, looking a bit impatient. Anakin decided not to test his luck…for today, at least. The Padawan let his mind wander to Padmé…Only the Force knew how much he missed her. This war kept them apart for long periods of time, and he barely got to see her when he was off again. It just wasn't fair! He sighed, drumming his metallic fingers on his knee. A clone trooper came in and saluted Obi-Wan.

"We're at the planet, General Kenobi."

"Good. Commence with landing."

The trooper returned from where he came. Anakin looked to Obi-Wan, who still remained seated.

"Should we get ready or anything, Master?"

"No. We still have some time. I think we're both as ready as we're going to be anyway, Anakin."

Anakin? His master rarely addressed him as Anakin on missions. He raised an eyebrow at his master, who didn't notice. Silently, Anakin shrugged and resumed his thoughts about his beloved.

After a few long moments, the ships finally landed on Iridonia. Obi-Wan and Anakin stood up together. Laron and Myrina joined them. Obi-Wan gave them a small smile.

"Are you ready to go?"

"Yes, Master Kenobi." Laron smiled widely. "I'm honored to fight by you."

"I'm glad to hear that, Master Buchenell."

Anakin chuckled inwardly at his Master's impatience with this Jedi Master. He wished he knew why Laron irked his Master so much; Anakin would certainly use it against him. With a hint of a smile playing at his lips, Anakin followed Obi-Wan out of the transport.

By the looks of it, they had landed on the outskirts of a small village. Smoke was rising from several of the buildings. Some structures had been knocked down and were in flames. Obi-Wan furrowed his brows at the sight.

"That's odd." He looked over his shoulders to the clones. They were ready for action, as always. Obi-Wan was grateful to have them. "Commander, let us take one of the squads and go investigate the village." He turned to Anakin. "You'll come with me." Anakin made a small motion to Laron and Myrina. Obi-Wan sighed, and then went to them. "I will have you two stay here with the rest of the troops. There is no sense in all of us going to the village."

Quickly, Obi-Wan turned on his heel and walked back over to Anakin, who was grinning at his master. How Anakin could find anything amusing at this moment was beyond the Jedi Master. He ignored it for as long as he could while they walked to the village. Finally, Obi-Wan had enough.

"What is so funny?"

"You hate him, don't you, Master?"

"Anakin, hate is a rather strong word…"

"What is it, then?"

"I am not very fond of him, is all."

"Really?" Anakin's curiosity was sparked. "Why is that?"

"I just-I don't know. Something doesn't sit right with me about him. I don't like the way he treats his Padawan. He always orders her around, doing the strangest things."

"Master, you have me do the strangest things sometimes."

"Those things are needed for battle, Anakin. That's entirely different." He sighed. He found himself doing that a lot. "The Force tells me that he treads on a thin line, in regards to being a Jedi."

Their conversation ended abruptly when they entered the city. They didn't want anyone to hear them. From the sight, they didn't have to. The village's citizens littered the streets, some on top of one another, as if running away from something. The whole place stank. All of the Republic soldiers looked around, shocked. Obi-Wan knelt down and felt if there was a pulse for a young girl. There was none. He stood slowly and looked at Anakin.

"This is a bold move by the Separatists."

"I agree, Master." Anakin could barely look. It reminded him of the Tuskens he had killed on Tatooine that one fateful night...He shuddered and tried focusing on something else. "Where are the Separatist troops, anyway?"

"I would imagine they moved on to a different village." Obi-Wan shook his head in disbelief. "How could this happen…?"

"Do you think there are any survivors?"

"Certainly not out here. Maybe in their houses." Obi-Wan looked in windows of nearby buildings. There were only more deceased people in them. Then, he spotted movement in one window. He drew out his lightsaber and went to the door. He kicked it down and looked inside. "Hello?"

Obi-Wan put down his lightsaber as he saw Iridonian citizens inside, most with guns pointed at him. They put down their weapons slowly. There were only ten survivors. Half of them were grown men, and the others were a mother with her young daughter, two teenage boys, and an older gentleman. They smiled at Obi-Wan.

"The Republic is here to help us!"

"We're saved!"

"Now, wait just a moment." Anakin walked in and stood by Obi-Wan. "What happened here?"

All of the townsfolk looked at each other for a moment. Then, one of the grown men stepped forward.

"Droids came pouring in to the city by the hundreds…they killed anyone. We tried fighting back, but…They left after they thought they killed everyone."

"They will be back soon, to do a sweep though. We must get you out of here."

"No. With all due respect, this is our home. We'll all be damned if we don't do something to protect it."

With s frown, Obi-Wan nodded. He didn't agree, but he knew there would be no convincing them. Anakin went along with it as well. As if on cue, blasters sounded outside. Obi-Wan looked out the window and saw droids fighting the clones. The Republic troops were greatly outnumbered. Obi-Wan and Anakin ran out, their blue blades ready for action. The Iridonian men ran out after them, firing their weapons at the droids. Obi-Wan and Anakin each engaged several droids, destroying them. The clones and Iridonians fought bravely side by side. The number of droids wasn't overwhelming, and they were soon all eradicated. Some clones and two Iridonians had fallen during the battle. Obi-Wan and Anakin walked side by side to the remaining clones.

"Commander, I'm going to leave you and the remaining troops here. The Iridonians will be with you also."

"Yes, sir. We will guard the village."

"Be careful."

"We will, General Kenobi."

Obi-Wan and Anakin left to go back to the transports. Anakin stretched out his arms in front of him, then looked sidelong at his master.

"You're not going to leave Master Laron in charge of the village?"

"No, Anakin." He sighed, fully knowing that Anakin was teasing him. "I don't trust him enough."

"Alright, Master."

The master and his Padawan continued walking to the transports in silence.

_Sorry this chapter took so long to do! I had a bit of writer's block, and a million things to do. Done with that now. Next chap will be up soon!_


	5. Chapter Four: Doubt

_This story is dedicated to my fan, and, more importantly, friend, Jedi Ani Unduli. She is a fantastic writer, and a kind-hearted person._

_Star Wars belongs to George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd. Thamius, Laron, and Myrina belong to me. _

The Separatist general had been finished with his meal for about half an hour when a droid came up to him. It ran in quickly, covered with scratch marks and dents.

"What is it?"

"Ships have landed, sir."

"Ships?" He looked at the droid with interest. "What kind of ships?"

"Republic transports, sir. There are Jedi; at least two."

"Republic…transports…" He laughed to himself, then stood up, letting his chair slam against the ground. "With Jedi. They got here fast." He looked at the droid, his cold eyes shooting daggers at it. "Get transports out after them. Now!"

"Yes, sir." The droid hurried off quickly.

For once, Thamius wished he didn't have to be alone with these foolish droids. Even one of his assistants would be good to have around. But no, the Count wouldn't allow it; especially after what happened to the last one…He sighed and got his mind off it. There were certainly more pressing matters at hand. Two Jedi were certainly not going to be too easy to get rid of. What could he do? What if they came here? Thamius shuddered. They certainly wouldn't be too forgiving of a Separatist general. He checked to make sure he had a speederbike, just in case they infiltrated the base. One was there, ready for him whenever he needed it. The general breathed a sigh of relief.

Then, he decided it was time to contact Count Dooku himself. He retreated to a back room, where their holonet had been set up. A droid stood, waiting for orders.

"Contact Count Dooku."

"Yes, sir."

Within a few moments, the Separatist leader's blue form appeared in front of him. Thamius bowed down to him.

"What is it, General?"

"I just wanted to inform you that everything is going according to plan here."

"That is excellent news."

"There is, however, one small problem."

"Oh? And what would that be?"

"Republic troops are here already."

"That shouldn't be a problem. Certainly not for you, Thamius…unless, of course, you feel you are not up to the fight."

"It is not the troops that worry me, sir. There are at least two Jedi here as well."

"Are you afraid of a couple of Jedi?"

"No, sir, I-"

"If you are not afraid, then don't complain."

"Yes, sir."

"How much longer do you think it will be before you conquer the planet?"

"By the end of the day, Iridonia will be ours."

"You had better hope so."

The Count ended the transmission there. Thamius stood still for a moment, his head inundated with thoughts. He had no idea what to do with himself at this point. But, he knew that if he didn't keep his word…He thought about what happened to one of the main generals before him. Rumor had it that the Count tortured him for two months before slicing his throat in his sleep. Thamius certainly didn't want that to happen to him. With a sigh, he proceeded back into the main room of the base. There were a couple of droids getting ready for the transports to leave.

"How many transports are you sending out?"

"Four, sir."

"Make it five. Prepare it quickly. I want it to be ready by the time I get out there."

"Yes, sir."

Thamius turned and went to his own private quarters. He had one of the droids place his belongings in there earlier, including his armor and weaponry. Quickly, he fastened durasteel plates to his body and sheathed his blasters at his side. Catching a glance at his reflection, he was pleased to see himself looking rather intimidating, especially since he stood so much taller than the droids. He left the base to where the transports were, and boarded the fifth one. The droids didn't look at him as he passed them by to make his way to the front of the transport.

"Are you ready to launch?"

"Yes, sir."

"Then, let's go."

Thamius watched the ground disappear underneath the nose of the transport as it sped off across the Iridonian plains. The other transports were behind his. They rode off to certain war.

After he ended the transmission, Dooku decided to find his master to inform him of their progress. They met in their usual meeting spot in the section of Coruscant where the black smoke never stopped rising. It was ironically fitting, Dooku thought to himself with pleasure.

His master was waiting for him outside. They walked together slowly, ignoring everything else around them.

"What news do you bring, Lord Tyrannus?"

"Everything on Iridonia is going according to plan. Very soon, the whole planet will be destroyed with the battle that is about to take place."

"Excellent. You have done well, my apprentice."

"Thank you, Master. I am undoubtedly pleased with that general. His hubris will be his downfall. That is, of course, what we required."

"Indeed, Tyrannus. Indeed."

The Sith lords walked on.


	6. Chapter Five: Droids

_This story is dedicated to my fan, and, more importantly, friend, Jedi Ani Unduli. She is a fantastic writer, and a kind-hearted person._

_Star Wars belongs to George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd. Thamius, Laron, and Myrina belong to me. _

_I know, it's been forever and a day since I updated. I'm sorry. Yell at me all you want, yo're entitled to it. But, I hope you enjoy the xhapter and I'll be sure to update soon! Much love to you all._

Laron and Myrina were waiting outside the transports with the other clones when Obi-Wan and Anakin arrived. Anakin decided to address Laron and let his Master stew. Laron, however, was the one who started the conversation.

"What happened? We heard blaster fire."

"We were attacked by droids. We defeated them. There were also some Iridonian survivors." Anakin looked at Obi-Wan, who merely nodded to him. "We need to board the transports."

"Are we going to look for other villages?"

"Yes, and we need to go fast. Who knows what other damage has been done."

The four Jedi got on one of the transports, and they took off. Obi-Wan stood impatiently next to Anakin. Laron and Myrina were seated nearby. Laron looked up at Obi-Wan, then away, then back again.

"Where are the other clones?"

"I ordered them to stay behind and guard the village and protect the survivors."

"I would have been more than happy to stay behind."

"With all due respect, Master Laron, I-"

Obi-Wan was cut off abruptly when their transport was hit by a giant blast. Obi-Wan almost fell to the floor. Anakin grabbed him to support him. Laron kept himself up, but his padawan fell from her seat. With a confused look, Obi-Wan ran to the cockpit of the transport and looked outside.

"General Kenobi, it seems like we've been followed. There are three transports tracking us."

"As if this day couldn't get any better." Obi-wan stood in silence, formulating a battle plan in his head as quickly as he could. "Alright; have the transports split up and circle around the enemies' ships. Then, open the doors and let out the troopers. This battle might be better fought on foot."

"Yes, General Kenobi."

The clone pilot issued the order over his comlink just as another blast rattled the transport. Obi-Wan sprinted back out into the main hold of the transport.

"Get to your positions, men!" This was no time for a pep talk or even reassuring words. The clones didn't need any. This is what they were trained for. "Get ready to meet them out on foot."

Guns gripped firmly, eyes on the doors, bodies crouched in a pouncing position; the clones readily waited for the doors to open. They felt the transport beginning to travel around in a circle. Slowly, the doors opened, letting in loud bursts of wind that raged through the transport. Obi-Wan had to squint through his hair to see the outside world.

The Separatist transports had ceased movement and landed, allowing the droids in the ships to come out and get ready for face-to-face combat. There were battle droids and super battle droids alike. Luckily, Obi-Wan didn't see any destroyer droids. He was surprised by how few droids were there; he guessed there were only a few hundred. Usually there would be a lot more than that.

"Commander Kyl, keep your men on your transport." Obi-Wan spoke into his comlink, moving to stand at the door of the transport. Droids tried firing at him, but he took out his lightsaber and deflected the blaster fire into the ground. "There aren't many droids here. There's no sense in using a laser cannon to kill a fly."

"Yes, General."

Obi-Wan watched as one of the transports shut its doors. Now it was time to confront the droids. He waited for the opportune moment. Anakin, Laron, and Myrina came up to stand behind Obi-Wan. The clones all got ready to jump. Obi-Wan saw the other clones looking to his transport with marcobinoculars, looking for the signal. Slowly, Obi-Wan lifted his hand so the clones could see. Then, he flicked his wrist, and jumped out.

The sight would have been spectacular if the droids were capable of personal thought. The white armor of the clones glistened in the sunlight, shining at the droids like a beacon of change. Obi-Wan had his lightsaber already in hand. Anakin took his out and ignited the blue blade. Laron and Myrina got their green and purple lightsabers out, respectively. The instant they hit the ground, the Jedi dispersed themselves and took on droids. Obi-Wan moved quickly but efficiently, cutting down droids only with his lightsaber. Anakin employed different Force techniques: pushing, pulling, and tossing them through the air. Laron and Myrina worked together.

It was the clones that were the most formidable force. Their battle strategies and support for one another weren't present in the droid army. The clones had teamwork, and used it to their advantage. Their techniques caused many droid casualties.

The destruction of the droids didn't take long. Anakin and Myrina had found each other during the battle, and Laron had made his way to Obi-Wan. The two Jedi Masters surveyed the damage together in silence. The number of Republic troops that had fallen surprised them; it was a bigger number than they expected.

Obi-Wan, in a way, felt responsible. Maybe if he had that one transport unload…no, he couldn't think about it. This was the way of war. Laron seemed oblivious to Obi-Wan's feelings, and made his way to the padawans.

"Are you both alright?"

"Yes, Master, we're fine." Myrina smiled up at Laron, who looked past her. "Are you okay, Master?"

He nodded and walked past her. Anakin looked down at the younger padawan, who watched her Master walk away. Her face was blank, but he felt her sadness through the Force. He gently put a hand on her shoulder, startling her.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

"It's okay."

"Don't worry too much about your Master. You're a good Jedi, and, more importantly, a good person. Don't let him get you down."

She smiled up at Anakin and turned to face Obi-Wan, who had walked over while Anakin was talking to Myrina.

"You both are alright?" They nodded. "Good. Something didn't seem right about this, did it?"

"I feel the same way, Master. There were too few droids here."

"Yes. Something strange is going on here."

On the ground next to them, a droid's arm twitched and it dropped its blaster.

"Open fire…yes…sir…"

Obi-Wan knelt down and looked at the droid. It was barely functioning, sparks flying form its chest. It turned its head and looked at Obi-Wan.

"Surrender!"

"We already won the battle."

"Surrender!"

"We already…" He sighed and looked at the droid, his eyes filled with mixed emotions. He hated droids, but couldn't help but feel bad for them. They were used like pawns in this war. "Where is the Separatist base?"

"Yes, sir, General."

The mixed emotions in his eyes were gradually being replaced by annoyance. He could understand a malfunctioning droid, but couldn't it recover at least _some _of its senses? He lifted it up off the ground as he stood.

"Where is the Separatist base?"

"Yes, sir." The droid lifted one of its arms and pointed feebly to Obi-Wan's right. He looked over that way and couldn't see anything. Is it that far away? He sighed and dropped the droid to the ground. "Yes…sir…"

The droid's chest fired up in a spark of orange flame. Clones quickly ran over and put the fire out. Obi-Wan nodded to them before looking around again. He knew that the next move must be to go to the Separatist base. But, the only question bothering him was whether he should bring Anakin with him or Laron. Of course, Anakin was his Padawan, but, perhaps it would be better for Anakin to fight with someone besides his Master. It would probably help Myrina a bit, too. His decision was made. He turned to the nearest clone, Commander Harik.

"Commander, gather the rest of your troops and board your transport."

"Yes, sir, General Kenobi."

"Commander Kyl, have your transport ready. We're going to the Separatist base." He spoke through the comlink to the clone commander, who replied a generic "yes, sir" in return. Obi-Wan turned to Anakin and Myrina. "Anakin, Myrina, I am going to have you both go back to the village with the remainder of the troops. Consider it our outpost. You will have to guard it."

Anakin was furious. His own Master was rejecting him to be with the Jedi he hated? It didn't make any sense to him. Anakin knew that he would be more helpful than Laron in combat, which he knew it would come down to. He took a deep breath to keep himself calm.

"Master, I would be more valuable by you-"

"Do not disobey me, Padawan." Obi-Wan's voice was calm and composed but hinted at anger. "I think I know what is best for the moment. You and Myrina will return to the village and you will stay there."

Obi-Wan turned away quickly to find Laron. The two Jedi Masters boarded a transport with Commander Harik. The transport started up and fired away across the fields, followed by Commander Kyl's transport. Anakin watched, clenching his metal hand into a fist. How could Obi-Wan scold him like that so directly and in front of another padawan? He didn't understand, which was true. He didn't understand how much this war was wearing down his Master, how much his Master believed this war to be wrong. He never would. That is why, deep down inside of him, Anakin felt afraid.

"Anakin, we should get going."

Myrina's voice shocked Anakin out of his train of thought. He looked at her with a small smile and nodded. With a sigh, he turned to the remaining troops.

"Let's board the transports and go back to the village."

The clones followed orders. They waited patiently inside the ships for Anakin to give the order to take off. Anakin went to the cockpit.

"Whenever you're ready, pilot."

"Yes, General Skywalker."

The pilots fired up the engines of the transports simultaneously. They took off towards the city. Anakin slumped down next to Myrina, who was taking a quick nap. Thoughts of Padmé filled his mind, and how we needed to see her, hear her voice…He jumped when Myrina shifted in her sleep. Anakin sighed and stared at the ground. He only wished he could understand.


End file.
